Its case design is identical to the iPad Pro 10.5 inch; internal hardware includes an upgraded Apple A12 Bionic SoC, a 10.5-inch Retina Display, 3GB of LPDDR4X memory, and support for Bluetooth 5.0 and Apple Pencil (first generation). This iPad Air retains the Lightning port, keeps the headphone jack, and has a slightly larger battery of 30.2 watt-hours (up from 27.6 W·h), rated by Apple to provide the same “10 hours” of active use.
In September 2022, third-generation iPad Air was listed as one of the devices that can be updated to iPadOS 16. It was praised for its laminated screen, Smart Keyboard case capability, as well as a speedy SoC. [7] In addition, while the current Pro models provide some support for HDR, the Air 3 does not. Some devices of this model, which were manufactured between March 2019 and October 2019, have issues where the screen may flicker or flash before permanently dying.
[8][9][10][11][12] As a result of this Apple released a recall program which allows users to send in their device for replacement up to two years from the date of purchase.
Is Your iPad Obsolete and Outdated?
In a technical sense, an obsolete device is one that the manufacturer no longer supports. Vintage iPads are not quite obsolete, but they don’t receive full support from Apple. Apple’s official definition of “vintage” is that they’ve been unavailable for sale for five to seven years.
The following models are no longer sold, but these devices remain within Apple’s service window for iPadOS updates: An iPad out of the service window isn’t necessarily useless because it no longer receives iPadOS updates. An older tablet makes a great tableside companion in your living room, an effective e-book reader, or a light-duty device for reading mail or checking your favorite websites. Still, the longer your iPad goes without updates from Apple, the more likely it is that security glitches could affect your tablet.
Updated my ipad 3rd gen for iOS 10
Third party app developers abandoned and stopped supporting these 8-10-year old iOS devices nearly 3 years, ago, in 2018. AND, NO WAY to, initially, install any older, compatible, third party apps into this old iPad, any longer! In addition, the internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads are, also, running on borrowed time. Not worth the costs to replace these old internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads, any longer, either. You really need to seriously consider a purchase of a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, refurbished or used iPad models, from better known, trusted Apple product/device retailers/resellers, some locally or from online, on the Web/Internet, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions. There are PLENTY of less expensive, newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.
All of these older model iPads below, CAN, currently, run the latest releases of iPadOS 15.
How long do iPads last?
A newer iPad Pro, which has more storage and features, will likely last longer than an older or lower-end model. A newer iPad Pro, which has more storage and features, will likely last longer than an older or lower-end model.
If you use your iPad every day and play video games or work with graphic design programs, it’ll wear out more quickly.
If you use your iPad every day and play video games or work with graphic design programs, it’ll wear out more quickly.
If you update your iPad software regularly, clean it often, and keep its parts in working order, you’ll increase its lifespan. But if you use your iPad a lot or if you use it in extremely hot or cold temperatures, your battery may die more quickly. Luckily, replacing an iPad battery that’s no longer working as it should is a simple and fast repair. But every time the company launches a new operating system, it stops supporting some of the older models. Sometimes you can live with a tiny blemish on your screen, but cracks and scratches on your iPad will only continue to get worse. They make your device more vulnerable to damage from liquid and dirt and, not to mention, can lead to cuts on your fingers.
If you have an older iPad and none of the fixes in our guide worked, it’s possible your device may not support the latest operating system updates. When you can’t run the latest update, your older software will eventually stop working.
If you’ve previously replaced your iPad battery and it’s running out of juice, it’s probably time to upgrade your device. If storage is tight on your iPad, there are a few things you can try, like deleting apps you don’t use or moving files to the Cloud.
iPad Air – Why iPad
Whether you’re working on a project, expressing your creativity, or playing an immersive game, iPad is a fun and powerful way to get it done.
iPad Air 3
It runs iPadOS, meaning you get all the features and apps you’ve come to expect from an iPad. However, the iPad Air 3 has an updated processing chip, the only area where it’s better than the 2017 pro-level tablet.
Apple had previously used the iPad Air brand in 2013 and 2014, highlighting light-and-thin design advances the company had made in those years. With the laminated display of this model, using the Apple Pencil on its screen still feels as natural as ever. There is no ProMotion display, which means you are not getting the automatically-adjustable 120Hz refresh rate that recent iPad Pros have. Games run great at 60fps with no perceived lag, as AppleInsider tested “Fortnite” on the hardware. The Apple Smart Keyboard is what Appleinsider recommends for the iPad Air, along with these accessories. In early 2020, Logitech released an iPad Air 4 keyboard accessory with a built-in trackpad. The rear camera is 8MP and capable of capturing Live Photos in wide color, though it’s limited to 1080p video recording. The audio is limited to two stereo speakers, unlike the four in the iPad Pro line. This 2019 model was the last iPad Air with a Touch ID Home Button and classic design. Titles like ‘Fortnite’ played smooth, even at a quicker 60 FPS with seldom errant dropped frames.
We’re hoping this coming WWDC we’ll see something unique from Apple with iOS 13 that can visually overhaul this experience. Unfortunately, the display doesn’t have Apple’s ProMotion technology, giving you a 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother experience. Slower refresh rates mean eagle-eyed artists will notice it slightly jumpy while using the Apple Pencil. Those who are that serious will likely prefer the iPad Pro and the second-generation Apple Pencil instead, but there are no problems to be found here for note-taking and less demanding work. The keyboard is a bit stiff and mushy at the same time, but once you use it long enough, it’ll start to wear down and soften up to a point where every keystroke feels excellent. This exists because it gives Apple that happy medium option between the low-end iPad to the high-end Pro models, and that’s why it’s here. The new iPad Air gives you an enormous 10.5-inch display that is bright and color accurate. It supports Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, and it has the same fast A12 Bionic processor from its $1000 smartphone, and you’re getting all of that for just $499, the same price that the original iPad shipped for nine years ago, and that is pretty impressive.
Again, this is a case where the AppleInsider audience varies significantly from the target market — no ProMotionhe need for the original Apple is a potential issue, as is t Pencil, versus the new one on the more recent iPad Pro line. But, even all that considered, overall, the iPad Air 3 is a solid 4/5, with it a bit higher for most of the iPad-using public and a hair lower for the ‘prosumer’ market.
iPad Air (3rd generation) – Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi models Height: 9.8 inches (250.6 mm) Width: 6.8 inches (174.1 mm) Depth: 0.24 inch (6.1 mm) Weight: 1.0 pound (456 grams) Wi-Fi + Cellular models Height: 9.8 inches (250.6 mm) Width: 6.8 inches (174.1 mm) Depth: 0.24 inch (6.1 mm) Weight: 1.02 pounds (464 grams)
Nano-SIM tray (cellular models) 10.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display
2224-by-1668 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps
Auto HDR for photos and videos iPad to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi or cellular
iPad to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi or cellular
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac); simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO
Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac); simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 technology Wi-Fi + Cellular models All models Digital compass Wi‑Fi iBeacon microlocation
Secure personal data within apps Pay with your iPad using Touch ID within apps and on the web
Send and receive money in Messages Use your voice to send messages, set reminders, and more All models Built‐in 30.2‐watt‐hour rechargeable lithium‑polymer battery Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‐Fi, watching video, or listening to music Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system iPadOS comes with powerful features and built-in apps designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad.
Accessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new iPad Air. With built-in support for vision, hearing, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy, you can create and do amazing things. Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, iTunes U, Clips, and Apple Store app are preinstalled on iPad. Apple ID (required for some features)
Syncing to a Mac or PC requires: macOS Catalina 10.15 using the Finder macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 using iTunes 12.8 or later Windows 7 or later using iTunes 12.10 or later (free download from itunes.com/download) English (Australia, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Traditional Hong Kong), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
English (Australia, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, Traditional Hong Kong), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese QuickType keyboard support English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese – Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke), Chinese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke, Sucheng, Zhuyin), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Kana, Romaji), Korean (2-Set, 10 Key), Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Albanian, Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Armenian, Assamese, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Belarusian, Bodo, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Stroke, Sucheng), Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dhivehi, Dogri, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin, Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Kannada, Kashmiri (Arabic, Devanagari), Kazakh, Khmer, Konkani (Devanagari), Kurdish (Arabic, Latin), Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Maithili (Bangla), Malay (Arabic, Latin), Malayalam, Maltese, Manipuri (Bangla, Meetei Mayek), Maori, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Odia, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali (Devanagari, Ol Chiki), Serbian (Cyrillic, Latin), Sindhi (Arabic, Devanagari), Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil (Anjal, Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tongan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek (Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin), Vietnamese, Welsh English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese – Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke), Chinese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Pinyin QWERTY, Pinyin 10 Key, Shuangpin, Stroke, Sucheng, Zhuyin), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Kana, Romaji), Korean (2-Set, 10 Key), Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Albanian, Arabic (Modern Standard, Najdi), Armenian, Assamese, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Belarusian, Bodo, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese – Traditional (Cangjie, Handwriting, Stroke, Sucheng), Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dhivehi, Dogri, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin, Transliteration), Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Kannada, Kashmiri (Arabic, Devanagari), Kazakh, Khmer, Konkani (Devanagari), Kurdish (Arabic, Latin), Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Maithili (Bangla), Malay (Arabic, Latin), Malayalam, Maltese, Manipuri (Bangla, Meetei Mayek), Maori, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Odia, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Santali (Devanagari, Ol Chiki), Serbian (Cyrillic, Latin), Sindhi (Arabic, Devanagari), Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil (Anjal, Tamil 99), Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tongan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek (Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin), Vietnamese, Welsh QuickType keyboard support with predictive input English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic (Najdi), Cantonese (Traditional), Dutch, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin), Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish (Latin America, Mexico, Spain), Arabic (Najdi), Cantonese (Traditional), Dutch, Hindi (Devanagari, Latin), Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese Siri languages English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Chile, Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong), Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish (Finland), Hebrew (Israel), Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian (Norway), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish ( Türkiye ) English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Chile, Mexico, Spain, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong), Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish (Finland), Hebrew (Israel), Malay (Malaysia), Norwegian (Norway), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish ( ) Dictation languages English (Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), Arabic (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi (India), Hungarian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Shanghainese (China mainland), Slovakian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
English (Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, UK, U.S.), Spanish (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, U.S.), French (Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland), German (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland), Italian (Italy, Switzerland), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), Arabic (Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch (Belgium, Netherlands), Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi (India), Hungarian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Shanghainese (China mainland), Slovakian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Definition dictionary support English, Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish English, Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish Thesaurus Arabic, Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Dutch, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified, Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Dutch, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese Spell check English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV User-configurable maximum volume limit AirPlay Mirroring, photos, audio, and video out to Apple TV (2nd generation or later) Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 4K, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.2 with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG‑4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC‑LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio or Dolby Audio up to 1008 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo or multichannel audio, in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M‑JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel); .zip; .ics Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m)
iPad Air (3rd generation)
It features support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard and has an upgraded 10.5-inch display.
Buyer’s Guide, December 2023
In addition to the spec bumps, the iPad Air 3 also features a larger and higher resolution 10.5-inch laminated display with True Tone and Apple Pencil (1st gen) support, as well as an improved 7MP f/2.2 selfie camera for sharper FaceTime video conferencing.
Apple iPad Air (2019)
3 GB RAM Apple A12 Bionic We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
iPad Air 3 (2019) review
The iPad Air 3 (2019) has serious horsepower hidden behind its laminated screen and uses Apple’s excellent Smart Keyboard for proper 2-in-1 for productivity. Its traditional design and first-gen Apple Pencil compatibility make it look dated, but it doubles the performance of the entry-level iPad 9.7. You might find the iPad Air 3 – and other members of Apple’s tablets line – discounted over Prime Day on June 21. It has a superior 10.5-inch display with thinner bezels, a faster chipset that matches the power in the iPhone XS , and a higher-resolution front-facing camera.
You have new options for an Air compared to its predecessor: it has larger storage configurations, compatibility with the excellent Apple Smart Keyboard cover, and performance numbers double those of the iPad 9.7. When we tested the device it ran iOS 12, which remains fairly limiting for Apple’s post-PC ‘computer’ pitch.
This new operating system helps turn iPads from large iPhones into impressive mac-esque work stations, with functions like gesture controls and improved markups. Only it has a serious internal specs bump and addresses our main reservation of the otherwise likable Pro: it finally has a palatable price.
Update: iPadOS 15, the newest version of Apple’s iPad-focused software, is coming to the iPad Air 3 towards the end of 2021. The iPad Air (2019) ends up being your cheapest answer to Apple Smart Keyboard cover support.
This is the first iPad Air with a 10.5-inch Retina display and thinner bezels, and we found it to be a big upgrade over all of Apple’s 9.7-inch non-Pro tablets we’ve used in the past. It’s hard to unsee the difference next to a cheaper iPad, and it’s a big deal when drawing directly on the screen with the Apple Pencil.
We noticed more yellow from this iPad Air screen, and that’s because it uses Apple’s True Tone display technology to better adapt to our environment. But it does have fan-favorite features you won’t find on the new Pros: a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the equally-reliable Touch ID button.
That’s an okay design choice for people with tons of lightning cables already, but newer MacBook owners may be ready for the USB-C future.
iPad Air 2019 colors consist of silver, gold and Space Gray – the latter has a black front, while the others are white. This is the cheapest iPad with Apple’s Smart Connector, which magnetically fastens the fabric tri-fold keyboard cover to the bottom (in landscape) of the tablet. You’re forced to use low-pile keys, which isn’t a problem if you’ve adjusted to recent MacBooks or Mac Magic Keyboards. Laser-etched fabric keys sound cool, and they have real-world benefits: they’re water- and stain-resistant, and impervious to debris. I carelessly ate a croissant over the iPad Air – for testing purposes – and simply wiped away the many pieces that didn’t make it into my mouth.
Contrast that with various MacBooks I’ve taken to the Apple Store for repair when a single crumb gets trapped underneath the delicate butterfly keyboard.
I can’t modify keys or keyboard shortcuts; I’d love to swap command and control, like I can do on my Mac, as I find hitting the very intendant command+C very awkward here.
It’s a complaint I had in our iPad Pro 9.7 review, and back then I used my iPhone 6S Plus to shine light on the keys at night. Today, it’s an iPhone XS Max, or me yelling “Hey Siri, turn on the Philips Hue lights” at a HomePod.
Charging the Apple Pencil Gen 1 remains precarious, with its capped end containing a Lightning connector that plugs into the iPad Air. It’s the single biggest letdown of the iPad Air, mostly because our Apple Pencil rolled off the table twice while writing this.
The good news is that the original Apple Pencil is cheaper and contains the same responsiveness as Gen 2 against an iPad screen. Drawing on the iPad Air, we experienced no lag, could create thicker lines by applying more pressure, and tilted the Pencil for shading.
The real reason to buy this iPad Air is the grunt hidden behind its colorful laminated display. It doubles the performance of the entry-level iPad 9.7 (2018), according to our tests, offering another perk for anyone seeking serious productivity and looking for a long-term investment.
Apple’s Smart Keyboard makes the iPad Air our favorite way to accomplish single tasks, like writing reviews. But for more complex research involving tabs (“What were the specs of the older iPad?”), we found ourselves seeking a Mac. We really got use out of the Apple Pencil with the software’s new markup options, allowing you to take a screenshot and instantly start annotating on the captured moment. iOS 12 also has other minor tablet perks worth mentioning: the redesigned Apple News app, deeper battery life stats, Screen Time (iPad usage numbers ideal for parents who let their kids borrow the iPad), and compatibility with third-party password managers. Apple has a very diverse lineup of iPads now, but here’s something interesting: they all have the same battery life – 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music. No surprise, as we cranked out more tasks, played AR games, and treated this iPad more like a laptop, we noticed a dip.
Mail and photo editing were where we saw the biggest drains among any single apps, according to the deeper battery life menu. Likewise, since we had the WiFi + Cellular version of the iPad, we noticed a another dip solely relying on our SIM card. While sold separately, the USB-C-to-Lightning cable and a USB-C plug are worth the cost if you intend to use your iPad Air frequently. The iPad Air takes respectable photos for a tablet, but it will never compare to your smartphone, and you also look rather foolish holding up a 10.5-inch display just to capture a shot.
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